By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
2022 marked a significant improvement for Branson baseball and first-year head coach Kirk Harryman.
Following a trio of losing seasons, the Pirates posted an 18-13 record before falling to Glendale in the district semifinal.
“I thought we did a good job of laying the foundation down for what we are trying to develop here at Branson High School,” Harryman said. “We did a great job competing in every game, and I feel like there were only two games all season that we were not competitive in. I think the biggest part of our success was the buy-in to what we were trying to achieve and the culture that we continue to put in place.”
While Branson loses a talented class of graduates, including all-state selection Carter Jenkins, Harryman has high expectations for a talented group of returning lettermen.
A quartet of varsity starters return to lead the Pirates in juniors Collin Ross, Javen Finkbone, Andrew Bristow and Kaleb Vejraska.
Ross, a pitcher and utility player, finished the season with a 3-3-1 record and a 2.24 ERA. At the plate, he posted a .349 average with 17 RBI and 9 stolen bases.
Ross received both all-conference and all-district honors.
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“Collin had a great sophomore year both on the mound and at the plate,” Harryman said. “He took over in our leadoff spot early on and did a great job for us. We are expecting him to continue to get better offensively and be that tough left-handed pitcher for us who will give us a chance to be in every game he throws.”
Finkbone, an outfielder, posted a .246 average with 9 RBI and 6 stolen bases as a sophomore.
“Javen returns as a full-time starter in the outfield,” Harryman said. “He brings a lot of athleticism and speed to the outfield and the plate.”
Bristow, a pitcher and infielder, recorded a 2-1-2 record on the mound and a 4.62 ERA. At the plate, he hit .279 with 18 RBI and 4 stolen bases.
“Andrew returns as a starter at first base when he was not toeing the rubber for us,” Harryman said. “Andrew has versatility to be able to compete to play multiple infield spots for us depending on who will be pitching.”
Vejraska, a pitcher and outfielder, finished the season with a .219 average, 11 RBI and 9 stolen bases.
“Kaleb started all our games in center field last year, can cover a lot of ground and is a defensive weapon,” Harryman said. “He is recovering from a surgery, and we are hoping that he gets released and back on the field sometime early this spring.”
A trio of seniors also return for the Pirates in outfielder Ryan Cornelison (.273 BA, 3 RBI), catcher Cade Grimm and pitcher/infielder Elijah Seitz (1-1, 5.48 ERA).
Juniors rounding out the returning core include pitcher infielder Jansen Poor (0-0, 5.73 ERA), pitcher/outfielder Ty Jenkins (.231 BA, 2 RBI), pitcher infielder Sam Adkisson (.320 BA, 5 RBI, 3 SB), and pitcher/infielder Marshall Storm.
“We return four guys that were regularly in our starting lineup and we have a lot of capable guys that will be competing for varsity at bats,” Harryman said. “We believe that we have a lot of the pieces to the puzzle. We just need to play some games and start getting them in the right spots.”
Branson will also welcome a bevy of varsity newcomers to the roster in Blake Moody, Nathan Leonard, Ethan Kennon, Aaron Strohm, Kyler Lankton, Ben Mathews, Hunter Jones, Tegan Asbury, Nolan Carnelison, Max Clifton, Will Funderburk, Luke McCormick, Ryder Schroeder and Skylar Slaton.
Harryman believes his team’s potential starts in the field.
“Like last year I think pitching and defense will be our strengths and we will look at seeing how we progress on offense and that will probably determine how far this group can go,” Harryman said. “Our expectations will remain the same – we want to get better every day. We want to put ourselves in a position to be able to compete for the conference and district titles.”
Following a March 11 jamboree in Neosho with Seneca, McAuley Catholic and the host school, Branson opens its season March 17 at Springfield Parkview.
